Powers

Chapter 5

I take the long way home, pondering over everything that has happened today alone. I possess the power of domination. One of the twelve is going to train me. I defied the Council by venturing somewhere forbidden. I think I might like someone I was never intended to know. I try to concentrate on something, anything, but I always end up looking down at my hands, ashamed of the unlimited power they hold. I don't want to master all the powers, and I certainly don't want to use someone else's power against them. However, Adam was right. This is who I am now, and I have to accept the fact that I am powerful. But, I mentally vow to myself to never, ever use someone's power against their own will. It will never be my place to force that on somebody.

After finally making it home, I stand outside my house, take a deep breath, and go inside. Instantly, I am swarmed by questions from my parents. "Where have you been all day?" "What power did you get?" I end all the questions right on the spot by holding up my hand. Looks of shock and disbelief flicker over my parents' faces as they see my tattoo. They both posses the power of truth, and yet even they can not believe what they see.

"How is this possible?" My mother asks my father. "I'm not sure," he responds. They are more concerned about me now rather than proud. In fact, they seem to be anything but proud. "I had no say in this. I don't even want this, but this is what I am now," I say. Then, before the situation can get any more awkward, I leave them and head towards my room.

My room is like my kingdom. Everything is mine, and invading it will surely bring upon war. I am fiercely protective of my privacy, although I couldn't do much for that in the examination earlier today. Still, my room is my hide away, and I rarely leave it when I am home. It's not that I don't like spending time with my family, it's just that there are times when I need to be alone. Those times happen a lot lately. I plop down on my bed, exhausted from today's events. I can feel my eyes getting heavy, and as soon as I am about to sink into the world of sleep, someone knocks on my door.

"Julia, can we come in?" I hear my father say. Groaning silently to myself, I say yes. My parents enter my room, and I try to hide my agitation at the fact that they have invaded my kingdom. "I'm fine," I tell them. "Julia, we have the power of truth. We know you're lying," says my mother. "We want you to know that we are not ashamed. In fact, we are very proud of you! It's just that, well, we can't help but worry. You know what has happened to people with great powers. You remember what happened to Gwyneth, don't you?" My father says.

Gwyneth Ross was the last person who possessed the power of domination, and that was over one hundred years ago. From what we are told, she was given the power at age twelve, but it was too great for her to handle. She never successfully mastered the power. I suppose she could have, if she was given the time. However, someone horrifically murdered her out of jealousy of her power. She was just fourteen. The Council tells us that she was murdered by a person from the dark side, but that is just one more thing that has been added to my long list of suspicions about the Council.Anyway, they say the power was given to her when she was too young, so that is why we are given our powers at age seventeen. Even still, her story haunts me to this day.

"Yes, I know what happened," I reply to my father. He nods his head, and I understand why they're worried about me. They're worried that something like that will happen to me. "I'll be careful," I promise to both of them. "We know you will. Train hard, pay attention, and you'll have your power mastered soon. Whatever happens, we'll support you through it. Julia, the road ahead is long and difficult, but we know you can make it," my father says. I nod my head, tell them thank you and that I love them, and then they leave my room.

Once they leave, I feel the most relieved I have all day. It's a good feeling to know that my parents still believe in me after the power I've been given. I have nothing to do, so I study the tattoo on my hand. There are a total of fifteen symbols, each representing the fifteen different powers. The powers of truth, knowledge, healing, joy, insight, elements, agility, imagination, dreams, creativity, evaluation, senses, control, transparency, and dominance. How the heck am going to master all of them?!

Trying to regain my composure, I decide to do the one thing that can soothe me through the roughest of times. I grab my sketch pad and a box of charcoal sticks, and I begin to draw. I love staring at the blank page, and then letting my mind wonder while I draw whatever I think of. I've been told I am quite good at sketching, but I don't do it to please people. I just do it because I love it.

For hours my hand flies across the page, filling the empty white spaces with lines that become a picture. When I am finished, I realize that I have drawn a picture of Peter, without meaning to. Why do I find him intriguing? I don't really even know him. What would people think of me? That thought brings me to a stop. Who cares what people think? Who says they have to know? What people don't know won't hurt them, and I now have a secret. A secret only he and I share.